Hello, Wooly parade

Miss Wool contest sends fiberglass beauties down river

Kimberley Parker/Special to the Standard-Times
Fiberglass sheep contestants are paraded from Celebration Bridge to Irving Street on the Concho River at Saturday's Miss Wool Pageant. Several new sheep made their debut in the parade and will be on display at the Western Mattress Bldg., 117 E. Concho Ave.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Five sheepish beauties made their debut in downtown San Angelo on Saturday, ferried gracefully down the Concho River to the tune of "Wooly Bully."

The Miss Wool beauty pageant, a San Angelo tradition dating back to the 1950s, is making a comeback via Downtown San Angelo Inc. In this incarnation, however, the contestants are not human — and not exactly female.

"All the entries are called 'ewe,' regardless," said master of ovine ceremonies, John McGee.

These painted ladies are made of fiberglass, sponsored by local businesses and decorated by local artists. Their noble presence on the river flotilla marked a new era in the Wooly Bully Festival, dedicated to bringing people downtown for fun.

"There used to be a river parade for the original Miss Wool pageant, sometimes with sailboats or barges," said Brenda Gunter, president of Downtown San Angelo Inc. "So many people have been asking me to bring this back, telling me that it's the most important thing that's ever been done in this town."

Gunter estimated 100 people lined the riverbanks to see this ewe-nique event. While more people, and more watercrafts, were expected, organizers were undaunted.

"The most important part of today's Miss Wool Pageant is that the floats worked, the sheep floated, they made it down the river from Celebration Bridge to Irving Street and back again," Gunter said after she and her fiberglass passenger safely arrived back on shore. "It made people smile."

Those who watched enjoyed balloons, music and free sodas.

"This was a whole new experience," said Linda Wirth. "I've seen these sheep around town. They are so cute! It's such a clever idea, instead of a beauty pageant to have a ewe contest. I wondered how they would get them in the water."

Jackie DeLeon had been wondering, too.

"Those paddle boats and aluminum boats with trolling motors are a good idea," he said.

DeLeon had come to the river with his wife and daughters. The girls, ages 2, 4 and 7, danced around with red balloons held tightly in their fists.

"They wanted to come out here to get out of the heat, to cool off by the river," he said, glancing up to the bald cypress tree at the water's edge.

"I love coming down to the river walk," she said. "It's a family atmosphere, and San Angelo is a family-oriented city."

Landers remembers the Miss Wool pageants of days gone by, when the beauty pageant involved young ladies.

"I simply don't know why we went to fiberglass sheep," she said. "But they are all over town."

Unlike traditional beauty pageants, everyone can vote for a favorite contestant. Ballots were handed out at Celebration Bridge, but it's not too late — the sheep are on display at the Western Mattress building, 117 E. Concho Ave., and voting continues through June 4.